Man who crawled in Dumpster was crushed to death

Workers found him in a Monroe County recycling center load.

January 31, 2004|By David Slade Of The Morning Call

A homeless man whose body was found Thursday at the Monroe County recycling center died of being accidentally crushed when a Dumpster of cardboard in which he probably sought shelter was collected and processed, officials said.

Larry Murray, 54, died of blunt force trauma to the chest and abdomen, Monroe County Chief Deputy Coroner Jody Hutton said after an autopsy Friday.

Hutton ruled the death an accident.

"What we're saying is that the injuries were consistent with what could have happened during the processing of the cardboard," Hutton said.

She said blood tests showed Murray was intoxicated at the time of his death.

"Unfortunately, these Dumpsters are very inviting to the homeless," Hutton said. "They are enclosed and provide shelter from the cold."

Murray was profiled in December by a newspaper under the headline, "Life outdoors is what area man prefers."

"This is really what I like. I like this," Murray told The Pocono Record in a story that appeared Dec. 4. "You choose what you want to do. You have the right to freedom, to choose what you want to do."

The newspaper reported that Murray lived in a tent along a back road near Eagle Valley Mall, and earned money by washing automobile windows.

Murray's body was found Thursday morning by workers at the Monroe County Municipal Waste Management Authority's recycling center near Blakeslee Corners.

It was in a 4- to 5-ton load of compacted cardboard that had been collected from The Crossings outlet mall in Tannersville and dropped off at the center around 3 a.m., according to Dean DeLong, director of the authority.

Hutton said the coroner's office has been unable to find Murray's family, and urged people who may know Murray's relatives to have them contact the office at 570-421-3480.